A dental problem occurs when the crown of a tooth breaks leaving the root of that tooth still embedded in the bone. This can be caused by two common dental techniques. In the first dental procedure, the dentist extracts a tooth by the traditional method of numbing the area around the diseased tooth with Novocain®. The dentist grasps the tooth using a special dental pliers or wrench. Using this tool and providing side movement, with twisting and upward forces, the dentist removes the tooth. If the tooth is weak and the bone matrix is strong the tooth will sometimes break leaving the root behind. In a second instance, when the dentist is mending or replacing the crown of the tooth, the crown of a tooth may be inadvertently fractured loose leaving the root in the jaw.
In either case the root that remains in jaw matrix must be removed for health reasons. To provide optimal healing that root should be removed with minimal damage to the bone matrix. This tooth root removal is important because dentists often replace the roots of teeth with titanium prosthesis. After a period of months the titanium implants become firmly anchored in the former root socket. Such a titanium implant can receive a replacement crown to produce a working artificial tooth. In the case of crown replacement, the tooth socket will heal much better if there is minimal bone matrix damage. Each of these conditions are addressed by the present invention and the prior art.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,602 teaches an extraction device for extracting the root of the tooth. The device includes an extraction bit having helical windings without a linear core portion separate from the windings, and in that manner is distinguishable from a common screw. A lockable and releaseable hand piece for attaching to the extraction bit provides leverage to the dentist for dislodging the tooth root, and is reversible in its attachment position to the extraction bit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,349 teaches a cone shaped helixical screw that will be placed into the root. A bridge over existing teeth and threaded screws will urge the tooth root up and out. Patent application 2006/0126741 teaches a variant on U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,349. The present invention essentially provides an artificial tooth crown with pits on the crown to receive the extraction pliers. This means that the dentist has fine control over the extraction process as if he were removing an intact tooth.